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REVIEW
Gary O'Dea
The Ginger Pig, Worcester|Friday 15th April
Over the years Gary O'Dea has played in full on electric bands,
acoustic bands and solo acoustic, at venues and festivals that vary
from Wolves Civic to Glastonbury and the US circuits. Now in the
intimate surroundings of The Ginger Pig with acoustic guitar in
hand and bottle of the 'Pig's' finest ale by his side, Gary is poised
to entertain with a set heavy on selections from his latest album
'Fly' (see review in April Slap), a collection which takes us back to
his Black Country Tipton roots.
A 'Welcome To The Show' opens the evening and straight off you
can appreciate the lyrical and acoustic quality that Gary brings,
enhanced by the addition of his harp, as he settles in with an
'Angel'. Enter Rick Lambe (pre-gig at The Marrs Bar with Official
Receivers); Rick has history with Gary and a band called The
Fortune Cookies. This triggered a few 'road' tales from Gary and
a song from those times, 'My Sweet Rita', inspired by the cleaner
at the factory where he toiled. There's a song scribbled in the back
of a road weary Datsun, but it's too early for 'Time Out' as it
powers through: much of Gary's material is grounded in 'life on
the road' experiences and everyday but trenchant observations.
Mr O'Dea may not be thrilled about my considering it as
'Dylanesque', but these songs are seeded from a soulful blues-
Americana mix and seasoned from a Jamaican spice rack. 'Take
The Money And Run' seems a comment on our times, which
together with the easy country style of 'In A Zone', with its easy
country style are more titles from his consistently excellent Fly
album. Indeed yet another track from Fly, 'Build It Like A Rock'
follows his rejoining the Labour Party as its politics set to reclaim
democracy under Mr Corbyn's leadership. The lyrics are forged in
The Ginger Pig
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9 Copenhagen Street, Worcester WR1 2HB
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the deserted foundries and barren brown-field sites of his/our
industrial heritage: Billy Bragg would be more confrontational
perhaps, but the message is the same.
The distinctive rhythms of 'In The Ghetto' follows as Elvis sits at
the park bench with Dylan and chat about Joy Division's Ian Curtis.
'Be Careful What You Wish For' is the next message and the the
harp then lends a Gallic feel to the superb 'All Down The Days'
which somewhat wearily and depressingly states that it doesn't
matter what your era - for the man in the street nothing really
changes. On that uplifting note the evening is drawing to its close
which has been a seamless session of anecdotes and songs from
a true wordsmith that is Gary O'Dea. Fly is an excellent album
wherein Gary is joined by many Midlands musicians and perhaps
most noticeably, The Birmingham Clarion Choir. Unfortunately
they could not be here tonight, so it was very much a stripped
back session at the delightful Ginger Pig.
Graham Munn
GOJO’ MUSIC Presents
www.gojo-music.co.uk
@gojomusic1
gaza@gojo-music.co.uk
‘a variety of songs and arrangements
in styles showing he has a few strings
to his bow... there’s more to Gary
O’Dea than a voice and a guitar’
LOUNDER THAN WAR
‘Expressive and skilful’
GAVIN MARTIN - DAILY MIRROR****
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